An Anecdote

Have you ever played with a spirit board? You know, like one of those Ouija things that Parker Brothers sells. When I was a child, they were incredibly popular! Well, at least among my little circle of friends…

Now, I was probably the only child in our neighborhood who ever played with a Ouija board without ever trying to “cheat” on my friends to scare them. I swear this to you on Sarasvati, and on my vows as an Upashika. I never faked a Ouija reading. My friends were rarely so pure-hearted. I had a babysitter once produce a reading that said I would marry the neighbor boy I always hung out with. Of course, she also gave me the nickname “Anus,” so there is that…

Then there was the one time I actually managed to get something on the “other end,” so to speak.

My friend and I were alone upstairs in the aforementioned Anus-nicknaming Babysitter’s house. It was very, very quiet. We’d done a couple of “readings.” (My friend pushing the planchette, I’m sure). This time, there was something…different…about the way the planchette was moving.

My friend stared at me. Her eyes were wide. She was startled. Terrified. I smiled at her. Why not? I was still having lots of fun. Why was she looking at me like that?

Stop pushing it! she gasped.

I looked down at the planchette. It kept moving. I looked up and furrowed my brows. “You stop pushing it,” I said, certain she was trying to play a trick on me. But when I looked back up, she was still staring, wide eyed. Uh…no. She was scared.

Then she started screaming her head off.

What else was I to do? I began screaming as well, and we both ran out of the room and down the stairs looking for Anus Babysitter, convinced that some horrible evil spirit was chasing us.